Maintaining a Water Pump

Water pressure for water-well installations is maintained by a pressure tank installed in the line between the well pump and the residence.

Pressure to the tank is regulated by an electric switch that turns the pump on when pressure is low and off when the proper tank pressure is reached. The pressure switch may require periodic maintenance.

Before performing any maintenance steps on a pressure switch, turn off the power to the switch. The current required to run a well pump is potentially deadly. Open your breaker box and look for the breaker marked "well" or "pump." It may be a single large amperage (30 amp or more) breaker or two lower amperage breakers in tandem. If you're not sure which breaker is the right one, turn off the main breaker to the house. (Do not leave the main power to the house off for periods long enough to defrost frozen foods or reduce the heat long enough to freeze pipes.)

If maintenance steps do not return the pump to service, replace the switch.

Checklist

Time
An hour or so to perform routine maintenance and reset pump pressure switch

Turn off the power to the well and locate the pressure switch. It is likely to have some kind of plastic or metal cover secured with screws. Unscrew them and lift off the cover. Set it aside so it won't get damaged. (The easiest thing to do in a cramped well house is to step on a switch cover.)

To clean the pressure switch contacts, slide a length of emery cloth between them and pull the cloth across them several times. Reverse the cloth and repeat the process on the other side until all the contacts (usually eight or more) are shiny. Use pliers to unscrew an aerator from the end of a faucet spout and clean all the little parts. Replace the aerator if it is damaged.

Pressure switches are installed in conjunction with pressure gauges, and the switches are set to turn on at low pressure and off at a higher pressure (typically 20 and 40 psi, respectively). Adjustment instructions usually can be found on the inside of the switch cover. Use wrenches to turn the adjustment screws, following the manufacturer's instructions.

My family likes our water pressure very high because it helps us a lot. I did no know that the water pump was responsible for the water pressure in our home. If anything did happen to our pressure switch I will take your advice and make sure to shut off the power to the switch to keep it from breaking.http://www.watsonsplumbing.com/plumbing-well-pumps-service/2105299

It's surprising that something that is completely foreign to, you can be learned pretty fast. I for one have no clue how to clean, or repair a water pump. However, from just looking at your list it looks like it's fairly easy. http://www.slaterpumpsmelbourne.com.au/pump-repairs

Just wanted to mention that when cleaning contacts it can be very difficult to get everything off (especially if there's corrosion). One of the best ways I get rid of corrosion is using Coca-cola! I know it's not conventional, but Coke is so bad for you that it'll polish off metal! Crazy, right? http://www.ghart.ca/about_us.html

Thanks for sharing this. Our water pump's efficiency has been declining, so we've been looking into doing it ourselves to try to save some money. I've been intimidated to try it since I don't have much experience, but this is a great step by step approach. I'll show this to my husband when I get home. http://www.advancedpumps.com.au/